Last week I picked up my 3 week Japan Rail Pass. I’m locked and loaded. My Funemployment continues.
Sunday (today) – depart for Seattle
… hike & bike with Doug Davis out of Port Townsend
Thursday – depart Seattle for Tokyo
… Jr International in Yokohama
… World Gymnastics Championships
… assist with 2 Cirque du Soleil auditions
… travel Japan
Nov. 22nd fly back to Seattle
Christmas in Parksville, B.C. with my folks
My main concern, I’m allergic to smokers.
1. Check Kayak and Travelocity to get your base price
2. Cross-reference with Skyscanner, Momondo or Mobissimo
3. After finding the lowest price, see if the airline’s official website beats it
4. Check the airline’s foreign website to see if the fare is cheaper in another currency
5. Compare results against alternate routes
6. After getting your lowest fares, play around with your travel dates to see if you can get it any lowerMatt via consumerist
I usually start with Hipmunk and/or Mobissimo … and then try to beat the price on the airline site itself.
Hey, Google Flight Search has launched, but works only in the USA, so far. It’s got Southwest Airlines, the only SEARCH SITE that does. Lifehacker gives it a good review.
Know that Charter Airlines are not listed on any site.
I’ve updated the (too numerous) photo set of Rick McCharles travel pics.
By far this is still my best self-portrait.
I’m still thinking about my 2wk tour of Iceland last June.
I recommend that destination for EVERYONE. It really is magical and wonderful.
… more Iceland photos
I saw the Calgary Premiere last week. Highly recommended. Everyone I spoke with liked it.
My review on Gymnastics Coaching:
… I was going to write a review … but Heath McCoy in the Calgary Herald pretty much nailed it:
… as in most Cirque shows, the storytelling plays a distant second to the spectacle, and, happily, the latter aspect of OVO is grand.
The staging, with its vibrant ecosystem, complete with giant-sized webs, cocoons and a monolithic egg (a thematic symbol of the bugs’ life cycle, ovo means egg in Portuguese) is spectacular.
The dazzling costumes — an inspired hybrid of superhero spandex and historical suits of armour — are suitably outlandish.
And the stunts — played out to the Brazilian electro-pop sounds of a cockroach band, which run the gamut between romantic and sizzling — are nothing short of stunning. …
Magnifique! Cirque du Soleil’s OVO must be seen to be believed
Click PLAY or watch the Calgary preview on YouTube.
Overall … the highlight of this show are the costumes. (That caterpillar is enough to give you nightmares.)
The weakest element, as usual, are the clowns. … Though I somewhat liked Flippo. He grew on me as the show progressed.
I’m flying to Tokyo on Sept. 22nd, hoping to see the Cirque show there called ZED. I’m assisting at Cirque auditions in Tokyo Oct. 18th and 22nd.
Do you trust your valuables to those hotel safes?
Best watch this video.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
(via Gadling)
After 6 nights in the mountains of Corsica this past July, I returned to French civilization.
Here’s what I saw in Ajaccio.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I’m pretty much the very best in the world in my field. 🙂
I’m finishing up Idaho Expedition Race. Flying to Vancouver Thursday for the BC Gymnastics Congress. From there back to Calgary the following week. I’ve got to stay one step ahead of the competition in my field.
… What is it I do, again?
Here’s a terrific short video showing what a week long Adventure Race is like. Top teams sleep only 2-4hrs a day on average.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
All 13 teams made it to the finish. They bike a “victory lap” (3-5hrs) up a mountain to finish at the Booze and Blues fest (PDF) in Kellogg Idaho.
I spent a number of days in Nice, France only because it was the jumping off point to catch the ferry to Corsica.
Must admit, it’s a very pleasant tourist town with much to do and see.
There are plenty of unconvincing homeless people in Nice, preying on the good natured tourists on holiday. This corner in the old town would be my spot, if I became one of them.
